openinverter forum

Random question.

I just setup the electric vacuum pump to the cars original brake servos to check if vacuum can be made. the car is 51yrs old now ( 1973 bmw)

I was quite happy as the pump did shut down , it lasted about 2mins before restarting again, ( not using a reserve tank, straight to the servo) thought that is was good, but not sure now ?

In a ICE engine the vacuum is constantly being made when the engine is running.

Is it good ?

If you have this setup in your build , does it do the same as mine

Brake boosters are supposed to hold enough vacuum at least a few presses of the brake pedal to help you push the brake.
If it kicks on every 2 minutes that means you have a leak and your pump likely won't last very long. Our your vacuum switch doesn't have much hysteresis.

A reserve tank will lessen how often the pump has to kick on but it will also cause it to run longer.

My advice is to figure out the leak first then figure out if you need a vacuum reservoir. Could be the booster, check valve, hoses, etc.

On Touran the vacuum is still there the next day and the pump only comes on when touching the pedal.
On Audi the pump comes on every 30s and is now causing issues. Either the motor current draw is increased or the switching FET is overheating

for whats its worth, i started with a small reservoir, but deleted it and run the pump direct to the servo. It kicks in as you would imagine, after most presses of the pedal and on start up.

Oddly when the weather is cold it kicks in more often. I suspect a slight leak somewhere.

Well there are some limits up to where it pays off to have a really good performance and good efficiency from devices. Vacuum servo just isnt that in my opinion! It was intended to be operated in harsh enviroment and still perform despite potential leaks... t is just not the airlock technology in space. If the car is old and vacuum is leaking you can buy new bellows for it and try if it works.
Immediately after you run the pump (and switch stops it) you should have enough vacuum to activate brakes three times.
Otherwise it is just not worth it to complicate the beautifully simple machine that is EV.

jrbe wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 11:35 pm Brake boosters are supposed to hold enough vacuum at least a few presses of the brake pedal to help you push the brake.
If it kicks on every 2 minutes that means you have a leak and your pump likely won't last very long. Our your vacuum switch doesn't have much hysteresis.

A reserve tank will lessen how often the pump has to kick on but it will also cause it to run longer.

My advice is to figure out the leak first then figure out if you need a vacuum reservoir. Could be the booster, check valve, hoses, etc.

I have a vacuum pump, reservoir, and sensor connected to my 96 Nissan D21 brake booster. I get only one brake press before the brake pedal gets heavier, and the pump turns on for 2 seconds about every 2 minutes. I'm wondering if my brake booster needs to be replaced.

Sector7e wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 6:51 pm ... I get only one brake press before the brake pedal gets heavier, and the pump turns on for 2 seconds about every 2 minutes. I'm wondering if my brake booster needs to be replaced.

Slightly heavier or almost no assist heavier? You should be able to get at least 3 good presses on the pedal before the assist is gone.
Also sounds like you have leaks. Could all be in the booster too.

jrbe wrote: ↑Mon May 20, 2024 8:45 pm Slightly heavier or almost no assist heavier? You should be able to get at least 3 good presses on the pedal before the assist is gone.
Also sounds like you have leaks. Could all be in the booster too.

The brake pedal gets slightly heavier, but the constant activation of the pump every few minutes is concerning me too.

Vacuum boosters can develop leaks as they age. With an internal combustion engine there is a strong and high volume vacuum source that can mask the leak as well as the sound of the leak.
You should be able to hear the leak.
You can carefully put a tube in your ear (like a stethoscope without the diaphragm) and point the end of the hose different places to listen for the leak. You can get a mechanics stethoscope too.